also how natto was first made.
according to legend, Japanese samurai would roll boiled soy beans in bamboo and shove it under their armor, where body heat was the perfect conditions for them to ferment, causing that snotty, stinky goo - that is amazingly healthful - and (again legendary) the warriors were strengthened in battles.
that’s how i heard it.
also: nattokinase is an amazing enzyme, naturally occurring in that slime, that “dissolves” blood clots without dislodging them into the bloodstream to potentially cause a stroke.
cool. i still can’t eat that stuff.
Funky foods have always fascinated me. Natto, mapo/stinky tofu, century eggs, hákarl (fermented shark), surströmming (fermented herring), etc. I haven’t had any of the above but i would love to try them, people seem to avoid such extreme foods and while i don’t actively seek it out i think it interesting enough that i’d like to at least try it. And if i hate it at least it’ll make for an interesting story.
Of infamously stinky foods i have had i tried durian and it was weird, terrible smell, but it was complex enough of an experience that i wouldn’t mind trying it again.
Gotta big pot o’ stew a-burblin’ away on the stove, and it smells incredible.
D bought a massive roast, one that was created by a butcher who obviously hates people. I spent waaaaaaay more time than I care to think about tryin’ to get the connective tissue and massive fat blobs off the section I cut up for the stew. Yes, I know fat = flavor, but this was ridiculous. What a struggle!
I browned the beef chunks, dumped in two 32 oz pkgs of beef stock, brought it to a boil before throwing in a buncha fingerling & little red potatoes. The 3 carrots came next after that lot got a chance to know each other, and then 10 or so mins later the celery arrived. About 10 mins after that, 2 quartered red onions joined the party.
Because I can never make anything easy for myself, I’ve decided to throw in some dumplings, too. Well, they’re easy b/c I use this Michigan-made stuff:
I’ve never made stew before, and mom never bothered teaching me how to make the stuff I’d actually want to make, so I’m hoping it will be a success.
For some reason, that strikes me as hilarious! Stew is the classic fridge cleaner for us. When the fridge gets too full of leftovers and bits and bobs, it’s stew time. A really nice, crusty bread is mandatory, though
We rarely have red meat either, because my wife refuses to pay the prices they charge. I have told her we are not hard up, she tells me “This is how I was raised, you are not about to change that.” The only response, of course, is “Yes, dear.”
This is the reason why i went vegetarian years ago. I was struggling to make ends meet, and i realized that the biggest cost in my grocery shopping was meat or foods prepared with meat. I was pretty strict about it but i’ve since relaxed that and will eat meat when outside the house but i still adhere to a “no buying meat for home cooking” rule.
D often finds “family packs” of nice, thick pork chops that work out to be $1/chop. Can’t resist that, esp when he knows I’ll marinate them in pineapple juice, lime juice, and some hot peppers/sauce.
I rinse off the chops, throw 'em in a container, salt/pepper/basil/onion & garlic powder each side, dump in the juice from a can of pineapple chunks or rings, squirt in some key lime juice, and scatter some of the pineapple pieces in the container & on top of the chops. I let 'em sit at least a day or two.
When I cook 'em (normally in a frying pan), I add more basil and the rest of the pineapple. I throw in some scallions and lotsa fresh garlic, but not in that odor/order. Sometimes I add bell pepper of amusing colors.
As the juice cooks down, it makes a delightful sauce.
I usually make rice to go with it, sometimes couscous.
Scrumptious, fast, and not too terribly much work. My BF almost fell outta his chair the first time I made it, b/c that good.
ETA:
I usually repeatedly stab the chops w/a fork on both sides, and add a little Scotch bonnet powder, or V carefully put in some Sriracha.
EATA (Edited Again to Add):
Sometimes I use less pineapple juice, and throw in a ton of coconut milk. Also makes for more deliciouser nom noms.
